"The Tarrant Literacy Coalition brings together educational systems, businesses, faith-based organizations and social service agencies to seek out best practices and advocate on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of adult North Texans who need to improve their reading and math skills." Robert Earley, President/CEO JPS Health Network
Literacy and Learning is a program funded in part through United Way of Tarrant County that provides training and technical support for literacy volunteers from local community and faith based programs. Click to read about our initiative to spark innovation and build a strong network of literacy providers.
As a community, we have the opportunity to educate the 1/5th of adults in the Tarrant County area who lack sufficient literacy skills to succeed in today's complex job market. At the Tarrant Literacy Coalition, we work to facilitate information-sharing about literacy, enhance networking within the literacy community, and promote collaborative programming with organizations and businesses.
Adult low literacy feeds unemployment, increases the number of families in need of public assistance, and significantly increases the population in our correctional institutions. It also weakens an individual's ability to reach his or her goals, a family's ability to provide for its children, and can decimate an entire generation.
"Literacy is the building block of a healthy and sustainable community." - Jill "J.R." Labbe, Former Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Director
The Coalition was created because a diverse group of people in the Tarrant County area recognized that in order to address the growing need for additional literacy services, a coalition must be established to bring together the entire community. Through the leadership of the United Way, led by the efforts of Sue Matkin, the Coalition was established and a Board of Directors was recruited in early 2009. The organization received its 501(c)(3) non-profit status in March 2009.
Since that time, the Coalition has continued to grow and build the capacity of literacy programs in and around Tarrant County. As a result of the progress toward its mission, the Coalition was named a United Way agency in January 2010.
Click to learn about this fun, community-wide event that supports our mission and raises awareness of literacy efforts in the Tarrant County area..
"Tarrant Literacy Coalition's leadership in this tremendous endeavor is an investment that provides an unparalleled return in the future of our great city." - Mike Moncrief, Former Fort Worth Mayor
The Tarrant Literacy Coalition empowers adult learners and those who teach them with high quality literacy services and resources so businesses can hire, people can work, and families can thrive.
Our vision is to make appropriate and accessible services available to every adult who wants to become literate.
By launching new programs and improving the quality of existing programs, the Coalition works to provide new opportunities for determined adult learners to attend classes and prepare them for productive and meaningful lives as literate citizens.
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Elizabeth came to Tarrant Literacy Coalition in the fall of 2013. She enrolled in the Project BEST high school equivalency class. No one knew that it would take her almost 5 years to pass the exam that would change her life.
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Flor enrolled in Project BEST after attending English language classes at another program. Her goal was to earn the High School Equivalency certificate and then enroll in community college. Today, she is a successful businesswoman intent on changing the lives of others by sharing what she learned in class.
